Except Wilson played better than his statistics, and there was no doubt who was the better quarterback in Super Bowl XLVIII. The Seattle Seahawks' second-year quarterback played an errorless game, finishing 18-for-25 passing for 206 yards and two touchdowns.

Not gaudy stats, but far better than Manning, who threw two interceptions and lost a fumble.

"It's a true, true blessing. God is so good, man. He brought me an awful long way," Wilson said on the postgame podium, after being showered with confetti. "We believed we could get here. We just said, 'Let's go 1-0. That was our mentality throughout the whole season.' "

Wilson, diminutive in stature literally and figuratively to Manning, was supposed to be the weak link to the Seahawks' championship hopes. He struggled at times at season's end. Denver focused its defense on stopping running back Marshawn Lynch.

Wilson took the challenge and carved up the Broncos with spot-on third down throws. He also used his legs to pick up big gains, rushing for 26 yards on three carries.

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The Broncos all but stopped Lynch (15 carries, 39 yards) but it didn't matter. Seattle's offense was efficient, 7 for 12 on third down, and effective, gaining 341 yards and dominating time of possession while building an insurmountable lead through three quarters.

Wilson's biggest completion was a 37-yard timing pass down the sideline over Doug Baldwin on a 3-and-5 from the Denver 43 with 4:26 left in the first quarter. Baldwin outran Champ Bailey and hauled in a perfect high spiral. Instead of the Broncos getting the ball back, down only 5-0, it was 8-0 four plays later — and only a great breakup of a pass from Wilson to wideout Jermaine Kearse by Nate Irving prevented it from being 12-0.

Really, the Broncos did what they wanted to do with Wilson in the first half, which was get him scrambling and, importantly, forcing him to throw the ball. Trouble is, Wilson was completing his passes, enough so to put a stamp on Seattle's first Super Bowl victory.

"He's a baller," said wide receiver Golden Tate. "And his surrounding cast is awesome. The offensive line did their job, (Lynch) ran the ball. For everybody that said we were mediocre, not the main dish, check it out. We came up big. Had four different guys score a touchdown. Eat your words, because we ball."

Wilson wasn't as outspoken. The former Colorado Rockies draft pick, who quit baseball to pursue his football dreams, stayed humble.

"Just a great team win," Wilson said. "Our preparation was unbelievable. Offensively, we were clicking on all cylinders. That's what we wanted to do, especially the last game of the season, to finish that way. We want to be champions every day and bring it every time."

Wilson, 25, showed more poise under pressure than then more-decorated 37-year-old Manning. But, he didn't face the kind of suffocating defense Manning did. When the game was close, however, Wilson was the man, even if overlooked.

After the game, most everyone wanted to talk about Seattle's punishing defense. Which Wilson had no problem with.

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